Mechanism for altitude controlled mask harness tension compensating device and front harness adjustment



May 26, 1970 i-i". w. SEELER MECHANISM FOR ALTITUDE CONTROLLED MASK HARNESS TENSION COMPENSATING DEVICE AND FRONT HARNESS ADJUSTMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 27, 1967 INVENTOR. Ill #25 in $632 gut-m zra-07km May 26, 1970 H. w. SEELER A 3, 13,8 1

MECHANISM FOR ALTITUDE CONTROLLED MASK HARNESS TENSION COMPENSATING DEVICE AND FRONT HARNESS ADJUSTMENT Filed Sept. 27, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet I I! l j CAL l' 4 II K II I v 1 1+) IN V E NT OR. flemey w. see-1:7, 05:09: 7, eyawn asez aw 6761' are/x E W %Q H. w. SEELER 3,513,841 MECHANISM FOR ALTITUDE CONTROLLED MASK HARNESS May 26, 1970 TENSION COMPENS-AI'ING DEVICE AND FRONT HARNESS ADJUSTMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 27, 1967 Il a United States Patent Otfice 3,513,841 Patented May 26, 1970 US. Cl. 128146.7 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An oxygen mask tensioning means which varies the tension of the mask against the face of the wearer in predetermined relation to changes in pressure altitudes, which is operable Within an aviators or pilots helmet without disturbing the relative position of the helmet on the head of the wearer, and also includes detachable mask supporting means connected between the front of the helmet and the mask and supports the mask comfortably against downward slipping movement, especially against g forces during maneuvers of an aircraft containing the wearer. The supporting means includes spring actuated connecting means in the helmet which exerts predetermined adjustable upward sustaining pull on the mask, and locking means are provided which is conveniently releasable, engages the supporting means to lock or retain the supporting means immobilized with the mask in any desired vertically supported relation on the wearers face. The supporting means is flexible, like a strap member and a detachable connection is employed between the same and the mask which will disconnect the supporting means from the mask so that the mask can be removed from in front of the face of the wearer when desired.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is an important and practicable improvement over a prior invention shown and described in a patent issued to H. W. Seeler, No. 2,970,593, dated Feb. 7, 1961, in which the oxygen mask was attached to the helmet and means was provided in the back of the helmet which was expansible between the helmet and the head of the wearer by pressure to shift the helmet rearwardly on the wearers head. This rearward relative displacement of the helmet automatically pulled the mask back tighter against the face of the wearer thereof, upon increases in altitude where the mask should fit tighter and/or where oxygen breathing is necessary. In other words the helmet was moved rearwardly on the head of the wearer and this pulled the face mask up tighter against the face of the wearer. When the mask was loose it sometimes had a tendency to slip downward out of proper position. No provision was made in the prior art for adequately supporting the mask against this downward slipping (for instance, during violent maneuvers of an aircraft involving heavy g loads). This made it necessary for the pilot to raise the mask manually back in position when it slipped or was pulled downward out of its desired proper sealing position, when oxygen was required.

Also, in custom fitted helmets used in more modern high speed aircraft, it is not possible or practicable to shift the aviators helmet rearwardly to any great extent as contemplated in the prior art, such as disclosed in the above referred to patent and therefore helmet movement cannot be used to tighten the mask.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is to provide a satisfactory oxygen mask positioning, tensioning, and supporting means, especially for use with custom fitted aviators helmets which is operable independently of any relative movement of the helmet on the wearers head, but preferably operates automatically to tighten an oxygen breathing mask on the face of the wearer with increases in altitude, or where oxygen is supplied to the mask under pressure, and to loosen the mask, preferably automatically, to make it more comfortable to wear at lower altitudes, and further to provide means for supporting the mask against downward pull and slipping on the wearers face to prevent the mask from being displaced downwardly, for instance by g forces during high speed maneuvers of an aircraft in which the wearer of the mask is located or working.

A further object is the provision of take up spring means, which is carried by an aviators helmet and connected to the helmet wearers mask which is operable to exert yieldable upward sustaining pull on the mask with the inclusion of releasable locking means for holding the spring take up means normally inoperative in any selected mask supporting position, together with means for easily and quickly disconnecting the mask suspension means from; the mask, so that the mask can be removed out of the way from the face of the wearer when the mask is not needed.

A further object is the provision of a custom fitted and padded hard helmet for aviators and pilots having a spring actuated take up mask supporting means fixed in the front thereof having a flexible strap like supporting connection extending downwardly therefrom to which an oxygen mask is removably or detachably connected, and means also detachably connected to the mask at opposite sides which are adapted to extend rearwardly around the opposite sides and around the back of the head with pressure expandable means adapted to engage the back of the wearers head to draw the mask rearwardly into tighter contact against the wearers face when expanded, and loosen the mask when contracted.

A further object is the provision of slidable supporting means in the helmet for the rearwardly extending connecting means, to retain the same in a desired position relative to the mask during movement thereof without disturbing the position of the helmet on the head of the wearer.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like parts in the several figures thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS- FIG. 1 is a side view, parts being broken away and shown in section, of an aviators custom fitted and padded helmet and oxygen mask combination embodying the invention, showing in full lines the mask in normal, fairly loose and comfortable supported position against the face of the wearer; and in dotted lines showing the mask pulled rearwardly into tighter sealing contact with the Wearers face by an expansive bladder like means which is supplied with pressure, for instance, by oxygen that is supplied to the mask under pressure for breathing at higher altitudes.

FIG. 2 is a similar fragmentary view but showing a self contained expansible sponge like pad in the form of sealed aircells in resilient material similar to the foamed material shown and contemplated in the Seeler patent above referenced. Full lines showing the cellular material expanded to draw the mask into tighter sealing contact with the 'wearers face, while the dotted lines illustrate 3 the pad compressed by outside ambient atmospheric pressure to reduce the pressure of the mask against the face of the wearer.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view through the mask suspension means which is located in the front of the helmet.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken about on line 44 in FIG. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken about on line 5-5 in FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. '6 is a detail sectional view of the mask release connection for connecting the oxygen mask to the mask (or tightening) means, whereby the mask is made detachable so that it can be removed from the wearers face.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings and more particularly FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown an oxygen breathing mask denoted at 1 in supported position on the face of a wearer 2, such as an aviator or pilot.

A custom fitted helmet is indicated at 3 which is of somewhat conventional design having the usual cushion padding 4 between the wearers head and the helmet to retain the latter stabilized comfortably in position against displacement.

The mask 1 is provided with conventional harness straps 5 which pass through the slotted plates 6 that are removably mounted in a releasable connector or connectors 7 at the side or opposite sides of the helmet 1, somewhat after the construction shown, for example, in FIG. 6.

Depression of the spring tensioned plunger 8 releases the plate 6 and the harness so that the mask 1 can be removed off the wearers face or swung to one side thereof as desired.

The connector 7 has a tang or extension 9 which is pivotally connected at 10 to a slidable plate 11 which slides on inwardly projecting pins 12 which are fixed to the inside of the outer wall or shell 13 of the helmet, the padding 4 being recessed somewhat after the manner shown in FIG. 5 for this purpose, to permit free rearward and forward sliding movement of the plates 11 within the helmet on the pins 12, operating in the slots 12a provided in the plates 11.

The rear edge portions of the plates 11 are slotted as indicated at 1112 in which the ends of the mask pressure adjusting strap 15 are connected.

This strap 15, or straps 15, provide means for adjusting the sealing pressure of the rim of the oxygen mask 1 against the face of the wearer thereof, independently of the helmet 3 or any movement thereof. The strap 15 passes around the back of the head of the wearer with the widened portion 15a passing over a resilient expansible bladder like chamber 16 as seen in FIG. 1 or a sponge rubber pad 17 as seen in FIG. 2 in which the air cells therein are sealed at considerably lower than atmospherical pressure, for instance around 5 p.s.i., so that as the surrounding atmospheric pressure decreases, for instance with increases in altitude the air cells in the pad or pads 17 expand to make the thickness of the pads between the wearers head and the strap portion 15a thicker. This exerts more pulling tension on the straps 15 to draw the mask 1 tighter against the wearers face. When the exterior pressure (within the helmet) on the sponge rubber or resilient pad increases, for instance with predetermined decrease in altitude the sealed air cells in the pad 17 are naturally compressed in the surrounding resilient flexible pad material to make the pad thinner (as seen in dotted lines in FIG. 2). This slacks off on the strap members 15, and reduces or relieves the rearward pulling pressure of the strap on the mask, thus making the mask more comfortable to wear at lower altitudes and better sealed at higher altitudes.

Space, indicated at 18, must be provided within the helmet padding 4 to accommodate the expandable and contractable pad member 17, or the expansible bladder 16, and the strap member 15 to allow for movement thereof, as well as for movement of the slide plate 11. The pad 17, or the bladder 16 may be secured in position at the back of the interior of the helmet 3 in any desired manner. For instance, it may be secured to the conventional cushion padding 4 to keep it from slipping down on the back of the wearers head.

The sponge-air cell sealed type of pad 17 operates automatically as should be understood, to regulate the sealing and facial pressure on the wearers face according to altitude conditions where oxygen gas or mixture is required. Oxygen is supplied to the mask 1, when required, in the conventional manner through the oxygen supply conduit 19 as shown on dotted lines in FIGS. 1 and 2. In FIG. 1 the expandable resilient bladder 16 is supplied with pressure through a conduit 19a that is connected into the breathing oxygen supply hose 19 or a separate limited pressure source. When oxygen is supplied to the mask under pressure this oxygen pressure also enters the bladder member or pad 16 through the conduit 19a to expand the bladder between the head of the wearer of the helmet and the strap 15-15a. This expansion draws the mask 1 rearwardly into tighter sealing contact with the face of the wearer. When the oxygen is discontinued the bladder 16 collapses to slack off on the strap member 15 and relieve or reduce mask pressure on the wearers face, thus making the mask more comfortable for long periods when no oxygen is required.

In both instances (FIGS. 1 and 2) the tensioning means for the mask operates substantially independently of the helmet and does not disturb the fit or position of the helmet, particularly a snug custom fitted helmet, on the head of the wearer thereof.

It is contemplated that some type of conventional initial slack-take-up means (not shown) is provided in the harness 5 so that the initial pressure or contact of the soft sealing periphery of the oxygen mask with the face of the wearer may be adjusted in the usual manner. After that the adjustment is automatically controlled by the expansion or contraction of the pad member 17, or the bag or bladder 16.

There is also a tendency for the oxygen mask, such as shown in the Seeler patent previously referred to, or the mask 1, .to slip or slide downward out of its desired position on the surface of the wearers face, especially during violent g maneuvers, and particularly where the mask is not drawn up uncomfortably tight, in other words fairly loose. This requires the pilot or wearer to utilize his hands or hand to shove the mask back upward manually to its desired or proper position. This might require the pilot or wearer to momentarily relax his necessary coordination and control of his aircraft or other duties and prove dangerous.

In order to obviate this objectionable downward movement or slippage of his mask when it is either loose or tight, the fitted helmet 3 is provided, in the front portion thereof, with an adjustable mask suspension device which is indicated generally at 20 and has a flexible mask suspension member or strap 21 with a slotted plate 22 as shown more particularly in FIG. 4. The upper end of the plate 22 is slotted at 23 to receive and secure the lower end of the suspension strap 21 while the lower portion of the plate is provided with a detent slot 24 to receive therethrough a flattened (outwardly converging) turn button 25 which is turnably fixed to the upper central portion of the mask 1 as seen more particularly in FIGS. 1 to 4.

The turn button 25 may be provided with detent means to resiliently retain it in horizontal position, so as to enter the slot 24, or in vertical locking position shown in FIG. 4 (at right angles to the slot 24) to retain the mask locked or secured onto the suspension strap 21.

The lower end of the plate is preferably bent or curved outwardly at 22a, as shown in the drawing, so that the wearer may easily grasp this portion 22a to slip the plate 22 over the turn button 25.

The central lower portion of the padding 4 in thefront of the helmet is, of course, recessed to receive the spring actuated take up means 20 as shown more particularly in FIGS. 3 and 4, which is secured to the helmet and is provided with a spring actuated strap take up roller or drum 26 on which the upper end of the suspension strap 21 is wound and secured.

The roller is rotatable on a shaft 27 between the parallel side plates 28 with a take up spring 29 (like a take up curtain shade roller) which is coiled around the shaft 27 with one end fastened to the shaft and the other end secured to the inside of the drum 26. The side plates 28 are, of course, secured to the hard shell 13 of the helmet 1. A locking plate 30 having opposite side flanges 30a is pivoted on the shaft 27 between the ends of the roller 26 and the fixed side plates 28, somewhat as shown.

The plate 30, referred to as the locking plate, extends downwardly under the suspension strap 21 below the lower edge of the helmet and then curves outwardly at 31 to provide a depressible end, just below the lower edge 'of the helmet, so that it can be easily reached and depressed by the pilot or wearer of the helmet.

The lower portion of this pivoted locking plate 30 is also provided with a fairly wide slot 32 through which the take up and mask suspension strap 21 extends, to accommodate movement thereof.

The plate 30 also extends upwardly past the take up roller or drum 26, as shown at 33 in FIG. 3, and coil spring means 34 is interposed between the upper end thereof and the helmet (or other fixed means) to resiliently urge the plate 30 to rotate clockwise (as seen in FIG. 3) toward the suspension strap member 21.

The clamping lever 30 has a strap engaging bar or friction lug 35 integral therewith, having a roughened or ratchet type outer surface 35a for interlocking and clamping engagement with the strap 21. A roller member or bar 36 is fixed between the side plates 28 to form back up abutment against which the strap 21 is clamped by the lug 35 on the clamping lever 30.

After the mask has been placed on the face of the wearer thereof in the desired position the depression of the end 31 of the lever 30 releases the strap member 21 which may be pulled down by the out turned end portion 22a of the plate 22 and connected to the mask 3 by the turn button 25, the take up roller 26 taking up any slack in the strap 21.

i When the clamping lever 30* is released the spring 34 actuates the lever to securely clamp the strap 21 between the roller 36 and the roughened lug 35 to retain the mask, 3 in its desired adjusted position on the face of the wearer at all times. Even when the mask is fairly loose it cannot slip down during aircraft maneuvers.

Since the helmet is custom fitted to the wearer, it has very little, if any, relative movement and therefore the supporting relation of the strap 21 on the mask can change very little, if any.

However, if it is desired to readjust the position of the mask 3, it is only necessary to depress the end 31 of the clamping lever 30 and the mask is free for upward or downward adjustment.

Turning and removing the plate 22 from the button 25, and depressing the end 31 permits the spring roller 26 to retract the plate 22 upwardly out of the way (against the end 31 of the lever 30) and the mask can be removed from the face of the wearer in the usual way, such as by the depression of the mask harness release plungers 88, seen in FIG. 6.

For purposes of exemplification, a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described to the best understanding thereof. However, it will be apparent that minor changes and modifications in the arrangement and construction of the parts thereof may be resorted to without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, an aviators helmet, a breathing mask, mask harness means connected to the opposite sides of the mask including a harness strap member connected at its opposite ends to said harness means and extending rearwardly around the back of the interior of the helmet, adapted to extend around the back of the mask wearers head in forwardly spaced relation to the back of the interior of the helmet, internal gaseous pressure responsive expansible pad means positioned within the helmet in front of the rear portion of said harness strap member for disposition between the harness strap member and the back of the wearers head, and expansible by gaseous pressure to draw the harness strap member rearwardly relative to the helmet to tension the mask harness means rearwardly relative to the helmet to pull the mask reanwardly into tighter surface sealing contact with the face of the wearer, and including harness member supporting means slidably carried for forward and rearward movement by the opposite sides of said helmet and connected to said harness and strap members for supporting said strap member against downward movement relative to the helmet during predetermined relative forward and rearward movements of said strap member in said helmet, and vertically adjustable flexible mask supporting means connected between the front portion of said helmet and the top portion of said mask, to prevent downward displacement of said mask on a wearers face from a predetermined adjusted position relative to said helmet.

2. A combination as set forth in claim 1 in which said expansible pad means is secured to said strap member and comprises a sealed resilient expansible rubber like sponge member containing an expansible gaseous pressure medium sealed at a predetermined external pressure not materially exceeding normal atmospheric pressure, so that when the exterior ambient pressure on the pad means is reduced relative to the interior trapped and sealed gaseous pressure, said interior gaseous pressure medium will expand and swell the pad means between the strap member and the back of the head of a wearer to automatically draw the strap member, harness, and mask rearwardly relatively to the helmet, and when the interior and/or exterior pressures inand on the pad member approach equalization the pad member thickness is automatically reduced to its initial thickness to reduce the rearward pulling tension of the pad means on the strap member to decrease the mask pressure on the face of the wearer, while the vertically adjustable mask supporting means supports the mask in position relative to the helmet at all times against do'wnard slipping displacement.

3. An aviator's mask and custom fitted helmet combination as set forth in claim 1 in which said pressure expansible pad means comprises a resilient inflatable bladder member secured in the helmet in front of the back portion of the strap member to be disposed between the strap member and the back of the head of a wearer of the helmet, and includes pressure supply means for supplying pressure to the interior of said expansible pad means to expand the same when the hehnet is worn with the strap member around the back of the wearers head, and said harness is slidably connected relative to the helmet to the strap member with the mask in place on the face of the wearer, to pull or tension the mask tighter against the face of the wearer without movement of the helmet.

4. A combination as set forth in claim 2 in which the back portion of the strap member which extends around the back of the wearers head is materially wider than the balance of the strap and the pressure expansible pad means is adapted to extend materially around the back portion of the wearers head in contact therewith and extends in transverse width direction at least to the opposite edges of said widened strap portion.

5. In combination, an aviators helmet, a breathing mask, mask harness means slidably connected to the opposite sides of the helmet including a connected harness strap extending rearwardly around the back of the interior of the helmet in forwardly spaced relation to the back of the interior of the helmet, internal pressure responsive resilient expansiblepad means fixed in front of the rear portion of said harness strap member and expansible against the head of a wearer of the helmet to draw said mask harness and mask rearwardly, independent of any movement of said helmet upon expansion of said pad means, for drawing the mask into tighter sealing contact with the face of a wearer, an adjustable mask vertical supporting means comprising a spring actuated strap take up drum horizontally journalled within the front portion of said helmet, a flexible mask supporting strap member wound on and secured at its upper end to said drum member, for yieldably tensioning said mask supporting strap member upwardly, the lower end of said supporting strap member being detachably secured below front of said helmet to the central upper portion of said mask, a manually releasable clamping means carried by said helmet normally in clamping and holding engagement with said mask supporting strap member, spring means tensioning said clamping and holding means into clamping and holding engagement with said mask supporting strap member, said releasable clamping and holding means extending forwardly beyond the strap member to a point intermediate the lower front edge of the helmet and the upper edge of said mask, for inward convenient strap release movement by the wearer of the helmet.

6. An automatic oxygen breathing mask tensioning and positioning device for aviators comprising, an oxygen breathing mask adapted to fit over a front portion of a wearers face to cover the wearers mouth and nose, mask harness means attached to the opposite sides of the mask and extending rearwardly beyond the rear edges of the sides of said mask including a mask harness tensioning flexible strap member connected at its opposite ends to the ends of the mask harness means, and adapted to loop comfortably around the back of the head of a wearer of the mask, a resilient expansible pad member secured at the back of the intermediate portion of the strap member on the inside of the loop portion, to be positioned between the inside of the loop portion of said strap member and the back of the wearers head when the mask is worn, to yieldably resist forward movement of said strap member, harness, and mask relative to the face of the wearer by contact of said pad member with the back of the wearers head, said pad member having an expansible gaseous pressure fluid medium trapped and sealed therein at an external pressure substantially equal to normal ground atmospheric pressure, to cause automatic expansion of the pad member between the strap member and the head of the wearer by expansion of the gaseous pressure fluid medium trapped and sealed in the pad member as the external ambient atmospherio pressure on the pad member reduces, to pull the strap member relatively rearward on the head of the wearer to automatically tighten said mask against the surface of the face of the wearer upon reduction in atmospheric pressure, for instance at increases in altitude where pressure breathing oxygen for the mask is required, including a padded aviators custom fitted helmet, a slide plate slidably carried on the interior of each side of said helmet for forward and rearward sliding movement rela tive to said helmet, with said harnessconnected to said slide plates with said strap member connected within said helmet at its opposite ends to the rear portions of said slide plates to slidably support the connected ends of said harness means and said strap member for forward and rearward movements relative to said helmet and against relative downward movement of said connected ends of said strap member in said helmet.

7. An oxygen breathing mask, and adjustable positioning and supporting means-therefore comprising, an aviators custom fitted helmet, an oxygen breathing mask, adjustable means carried by said helmet and connected to the upper central part of said mask for supporting and positioning said mask over a wearers nose and mouth, a mask suspension strap wind up drum journalled within the front portion of said helmet, a flexible mask supporting strap member wound on and secured at its upper end within said helmet to said drum for yieldably tensioning said mask positioning and supporting strap member upwardly, said strap member extending downwardly from said drum below the central front portion of said helmet, disconnectable means connecting the upper central portion of said mask to the lower end portion of said strap member comprising, a slotted strap pull down plate on the lower end of said strap and a flattened turn-button projecting outwardly from said mask for insertion through said slotted plate and turnable to locking position at right angles to the slot in said plate, a clamping lever pivoted in said helmet concentric to the axis of said drum and extending downwardly behind said strap member with its lower end curved outwardly and forwardly past said strap member for depression by the wearer of said helmet and mask just below the lower front edge of said helmet, said forwardly and outwardly curved portion having a transverse slot formed therein through which said strap member passes, to accommodate said strap and to limit upward movement of said slotted plate by said strap member by impingement of said slotted plate against the periphery of said slot in said curved end of said clamping lever, a back up abutment roller fixed between the strap member and the front of said helmet in the path of clamping movement of said clamping lever, said clamping lever having a strap member engaging friction clamping projection thereon opposite said abutment roller with the strap member passing therebetween, spring actuating means operable between the interior of said helmet and said clamping lever tensioning said clamping lever toward said abutment roller to clamp and retain said strap member in adjusted positions against downward movement relative to said helmet tensioned by downward pull of said mask when worn by the wearer of said helmet, and means carried by said helmet for adjustably tensioning said mask rearwardly against the face of the wearer thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,000,706 8/1911 Barnum l28l46.7 2,970,593 2/1961 Seeler l28146.7 3,035,573 5/1962 Morton et a1 l28l46'.7 3,095,876 7/1963 Meister 128146.7

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner T. ZACK, Assistant Examiner 

